


Look for me in the shining stars

by SunshineScorpius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Malfoy Family Feels, Strangers to Lovers, Summer Love, albus is a saint, honestly these boys have no chill, i didn't mean for this to reach 16k, musical!scorp, scorpius really can't control his mouth, so much fluff they need a diabetes warning, you can take musical scorpius from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 21:57:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20414953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineScorpius/pseuds/SunshineScorpius
Summary: Ever since the war, the Malfoys have been in hiding, moving from place to place and never settling anywhere long enough to call home. During their stay in a small town in Italy, Scorpius meets Albus Potter, who’s travelling the world following his wizarding education. It was a summer for love.





	Look for me in the shining stars

**Author's Note:**

> This little nugget has been written specially for Scorbus Fest: AU edition!
> 
> A massive thank you to my betas Evie (evieadams273) and Kate (RoRoWeasley)! This wouldn't be up today without their help and support! Thanks guys <33
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

_Lily,_

_Hey Lils! It’s me, your favourite brother. Just a quick letter to let you know I’ve just left Switzerland and I’m currently on a bus to Italy. I don’t know why, but I have a good feeling about this place. Maybe this is where I find myself – or whatever bullshit you keep going on about! _

_Hope everything is okay at home! Still not sure if I’ll make it back before you head off to Hogwarts for your very (not so) important sixth year! Oh, and tell that boyfriend of yours that I will murder him if he hurts you when I get back._

_Love you, Lils!_

_Albus_

_#_

It was fair to say that Scorpius Malfoy couldn’t think of anything worse than going to work that morning. He didn’t even _need _to work; his parents were wealthy enough. He only got the job at the local café because he was bored. Living in a small muggle town in Italy often came with having nothing to do, especially for an eighteen-year-old who had recently finished his home-school education.

Scorpius rolled over in his bed, feeling the ends of his hair sticking to his forehead. Summers in Orta San Giulio were always unbearable, especially with his pale skin and natural affinity for cooler weather. Though, Scorpius was used to living in hot countries these days. He’d lived in plenty of them since his birth.

See, Scorpius was a Malfoy. ‘Malfoy’ in the wizarding world meant trouble; evil; dangerous; and most importantly, traitorous. His dad, Draco, was shunned out of wizarding England along with his parents, and he fled to France. There, he met Scorpius’ mother, Astoria, a truly beautiful woman with a kind heart. Astoria had finished her schooling education in Beauxbatons Academy of Magic when her parents dragged her there after the war had ended. Astoria’s kind heart meant she could look past the mistakes Draco made during the war and eventually they fell in love.

However, still shunned from wizarding England, the Malfoy’s have been from place to place, escaping the stares and the taunts and looking for a new place to call home. Scorpius hasn’t ever been in one place longer than a year. When he was younger, it wasn’t so bad. However, when he reached eleven, they tried to take him back to England to start Hogwarts, and during a trip to Diagon Alley, Scorpius was subject to awful abuse from various witches and wizards. Draco drew the line, and they fled to America.

Scorpius never started school. Both his parents home-schooled him whilst on the run, through four different states before they fled back to Europe. They began to realise that wizarding villages simply did not like traitors among them. So, they stuck to muggle villages. They’d been in Italy for nearly nine months now, and Scorpius secretly hoped that this time they’d stay. He liked his life in Italy. He had a friend – only one friend – for the first time since… well, ever. He had a job with people he actually liked. His mum and dad seemed slightly happier in their small townhouse.

As Scorpius showered, he wondered what it would be like living as a muggle for the rest of his life. He could certainly do it. He quite liked the way they lived. They were always honest and unapologetically themselves. Besides, muggles have magic too. Just, not in the way everyone expects. Their magic comes in making the perfect cup of tea; in avoiding that dreadful rainstorm; in picking the right lottery numbers; in seeing an old friend for the first time in years. Their magic was little, yet it was the most memorable type.

Scorpius dressed for work, exiting his bedroom situated next to the living room and found his mother curled up with a book and a cup of tea.

“Morning, Mum,” he spoke, leaning down to kiss her gently on the cheek. She hummed in response, pecking his cheek back. "Where's Dad?”

“Popped to the market,” she said, looking at him finally. “Do you have a shift today, honey?”

“Yeah, till four,” he sighed. She smiled fondly at him, reaching to take his hand and run a thumb over his knuckles.

“When do you start?”

He looked at his watch, “in an hour.”

“How about we get breakfast beforehand?” Scorpius smiled and nodded, taking hold on both his mum’s hands and pulling her up from the sofa. She gracefully walked down the hall, Scorpius in tow, and they put their shoes on and left the house together.

He hooked their arms as they walked, loving being this close to his mum. He was always closer to her than his dad. His dad was often distant and very rarely showed affection of any kind towards him. Scorpius knew he loved him, but the occasional hug he received from his dad was always a surprise.

He had always loved this town. He was reminded of how much he loved it every time he walked its streets, which was every day nearly. His mum talked sweetly about the progress of the newest book she was writing. She had never finished one, but she was always starting them. The furthest she’d got was sixteen chapters before she'd given up and begun a new idea. It was just a hobby, but for once, Scorpius wished she would finish one.

They ate at their favourite breakfast café before Astoria walked Scorpius to his place of work. They were greeted kindly by everyone they walked past, the locals that now recognised them as a permanent fixture of the small town. Most spoke English – in fact, everyone did – but Scorpius had learned Italian since arriving. Due to his travels across the world, he spoke fragments of most languages. Learning a new language was his favourite thing. There was something beautiful about it. Italian was a particularly beautiful language, the way it rolled off his tongue elegantly and gracefully. The language was everything Scorpius wasn’t; beautiful, graceful, elegant, proud.

His mum kissed his cheek and hugged him goodbye. Scorpius watched her round the corner before entering _Agrigelateria_ – the café in which he worked.

“Morning!” he greeted his boss, Luca, a short, stout man with square glasses perched on his crooked nose.

“You’re late,” he scolded. Scorpius looked at his watch and frowned.

“I start at eleven,” he spoke, slightly timidly. Luca was nice enough most of the time, but Scorpius wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.

Luca glanced at the clock behind him and tutted. “You’re early then. You’re on the counter today,” he said, disappearing behind into the kitchen where the cakes were made. Scorpius much preferred being on the counter than in the kitchen, sweating half to death.

He dropped his belongings in the back room and pulled on an unflattering dark green apron that clashed terribly with the décor of the shop. Scorpius would kill for the chance to redecorate this entire place, maybe one day he’ll get the chance.

The shop was quiet, as it always was. He stood at the counter, occasionally cleaning it down and wiping over various coffee instruments. He made himself a tea whilst he was waiting for customers and as the hour ticked by, he only served a grand total of three people. An elderly woman who spoke broken English, meaning he got to test his Italian. And a young couple who haven’t stopped making out on the sofa after Scorpius delivered their coffees.

Luca left him to it, not that there was much to do. He left his post, cleaning various tables that had already been cleaned that morning. He was simply looking for something to do. He was about to start wiping down another when the bell dinged on the door, signalling a new customer. Scorpius – a little too happy with the prospect of having something to do – skipped back to the counter and signed into the till. When he finally looked up to the customer, his breath caught in his throat.

Standing in front of him was, quite possibly, the most beautiful human being he’d ever seen. He was no older than Scorpius himself, hair a shaggy black mess atop his head – wild and utterly untameable, yet endearing. His smile was wide and cheeky, showing teeth and a small dimple, and raising his eyebrows in greeting to Scorpius. Then, there were his eyes. His eyes shone a bright emerald green, piercing and iridescent like a thousand stars had been placed in them. He was beautiful.

And Scorpius was finding it hard to breathe in his presence.

He dug deep for his voice, plastered on a wide – hopefully warming smile – and was about to speak when the mysterious, beautiful boy beat him to it.

“Er – hi, I mean, bu-buona sera,” he spoke in _very_ broken Italian. Scorpius bit his lip to try and hide his amusement. He could have let the man go on but decided to put him out of his misery.

“I speak English,” he assured. He saw him visibly relax.

“Thank God. Most people around here do, but I’ve been trying to learn and, as you can probably tell, I am dramatically failing.” He slumped into the stool that stood in front of the counter a little further down from the till. Scorpius instantly pinned his accent – he was British, southern by the sounds of it.

“It’s cute,” Scorpius said, his mouth (as usual) speaking out of turn with his brain. He resisted the urge to clamp his hand over his mouth and instead coughed awkwardly. “I mean – er – what can I get you?”

The other boy wasn’t as good at suppressing his amusement as Scorpius, and his face broke out into an adorably wide grin, amusement lighting up in his eyes. “I haven’t decided yet, sorry to be awkward.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Do I know you?”

Scorpius’ heart dropped. It had been _years _since someone last recognised him. Ever since they bordered into the muggle world, leaving the cruel remarks of ‘traitor’ and ‘Voldemort’s son’ behind, no one had bothered him.

Scorpius swallowed his dread and shook his head, “I don’t think so.” But now the other boy had mentioned it, he couldn’t help but think that he did look familiar. Maybe they had never met personally, but if this boy was a wizard, then Scorpius’ name was rather famous and maybe he was too. Scorpius dropped it, there was no use dwelling on the past. The wizarding world was long behind him.

“You seriously look like someone.” He studied him for a moment before shaking his head. “Must be imagining it, though I can’t imagine I’d ever forget your eyes.” Scorpius flushed bright red and hung his head, wishing for an end to this conversation. “Sorry, Mum always said I don’t have a filter.” The other boy flushed red as well.

“It’s fine,” Scorpius mumbled, looking back up and smiling again. “Decided on a drink?”

“Oh.” The other boy looked at the menu on the board behind Scorpius. It was written in Italian, so he sighed. “What do you recommend?”

Scorpius smiled, he loved when people asked him this. “I could do you a Scorpius special.”

“A _Scorpius_ special?”

Scorpius hung his head, trying to ignore the fact that he just gave his name away to someone who _already _thought he recognised him. “It’s my… very embarrassing name.”

The boy looked at him for a moment. “I like it. Besides, mine’s just as bad. I’m Albus.” He held his hand out. Scorpius eyed it for a moment before shaking it. “And I’ll take it.”

“Are you sure? It’s very, very sweet. Blame my mother for giving me my sweet tooth,” he smiled awkwardly. Albus grinned too, somehow finding Scorpius’ awkwardness amusing? Endearing? Surely not. Albus was so far out of Scorpius’ league that he couldn’t even see the line anymore.

“It can’t be that bad,” Albus assured, waving a hand offhandedly. Scorpius shrugged and got to work on making his coffee-that-barely-tasted-like-coffee for him. Topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, Scorpius presented him with the extremely sweet concoction.

Albus pulled a face. “This is coffee?”

Scorpius smiled uncontrollably as Albus cleared away the whipped cream with a spoon and took a sip, pulling a face as though he’d just eaten a sour lemon. Then he took another sip, pulling the same scrunched up face, and Scorpius couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Albus looked at him incredibly wounded, before his pout broke out into the most gorgeous smile ever.

_Wow,_ Scorpius thought, _I’m already in way too deep._

“You like this shit?”

Scorpius gaped. “It’s not shit!”

“_It’s not shit!”_ Albus mocked in a very bad attempt at Scorpius accent. Scorpius, himself, didn’t even know his own accent, and it appeared to occur to Albus at that moment too after he pulled a confused face as soon as the words left his mouth.

“Italians like it sweet,” Scorpius said before Albus could broach the matter.

“Well, I’m British, we like it bitter.” He took another sip despite this fact. “I can’t pin your accent, where are you from?”

Scorpius mulled over the question for a moment. “Everywhere… and nowhere.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Scorpius shrugged. “I’ve been everywhere, literally. Moving from city to city and never staying anywhere long enough to call home.”

“That’s… kind of sad,” Albus said, taking another sip, pulling the same face and pushing it away. “Okay, can I please have a normal coffee and not something that tastes like fairy dust.”

Scorpius turned to start making the coffee and quipped, “how do you know what fairy dust tastes like?”

“Because I just tried it,” he joked back. Scorpius rolled his eyes as he placed a black coffee in front of him.

“Milk? Sugar?”

“No thanks,” he said, taking a sip and sighing in relief. Scorpius grimaced, taking the other drink, emptying it and putting the glass in the dishwasher.

“So, what brings you to Italy?” Scorpius asked, popping back up in front of the till. “It’s far from home.”

Albus shrugged. “I got on a bus from Switzerland and it dropped me off here. Cute little town, from what I can tell so far.”

“Where are you staying?”

“No idea. Bus dropped me off like half an hour ago and I came straight here, been up for hours so I needed a kick. Know any good places?”

Albus was mysterious, Scorpius knew that much. He just showed up here, without a care in the world and not at all worried he had no place to stay. Albus reached to the floor and pulled his bag onto his lap, searching around inside for it. Scorpius hadn’t noticed the bag before, but it certainly wasn’t large enough to carry all of his possessions on a long trip. Yet, it was all he had.

“There’s a nice hotel near the lake," Scorpius explained. "I can show you after my shift if you'd like?" He didn't know why he said it, he just knew he had to see Albus again. He barely knew the guy, what was wrong with him?

“Brilliant, what time do you get off?”

“Four.”

“I’ll come back then, mind if I leave my bag? It’s kind of heavy but I wanted to have a walk around.” He raised his eyebrows in question.

“Sure, I’ll put it out back with my stuff.”

“Great.” He smiled, pushing enough money to cover the coffee over to him. “That should cover it, keep the change. I’ll see you later, Scorpius.” With one last smile and a small awkward wave, Albus was out the door.

The rest of his shift passed painfully slowly, and everyone who walked in that door, Scorpius secretly hoped was a certain emerald-eyed boy. It was stupid how hooked he already was. Albus would probably be here for a week maximum. People don't often stay in Orta San Giulio, apart from the Malfoys apparently. Though, even Scorpius knew it wouldn’t be long before they moved on.

When four o’clock hit, Scorpius had never clocked out so fast. He picked up his and Albus’ bag from the back room, waving a brief hello and goodbye to the next person on shift and exiting onto the streets. It was still warm. Scorpius pulled off his glasses in favour of a pair of sunglasses and settled down on the wall opposite the café. He got out his phone, quickly texting his mum, telling her he’d be late.

They were a bit reluctant to use muggle technology at first, but hiding in the muggle world meant they couldn’t get in contact with each other easily via owl or letters, so they eventually gave in. It was incredibly handy, and Scorpius actually quite liked the little device. Astoria replied with an affirmative but reminded him not to be too late because she didn’t want him to miss dinner.

Scorpius rolled his eyes before checking the time and then pocketing his phone. He swung his legs back and forth, heels hitting the wall and looked around. There was no sign of Albus. A wave of panic settled through him. _What if he changed his mind?_ But then, Scorpius had his things. Surely he’d come back for them. And anyway, why was he so hung up on this? He’d just met Albus, and he had no commitment to Scorpius at all.

Deciding he was being silly, Scorpius tried to shove the thought to the back of his mind. He pulled his phone back out, making himself look busy whilst he waited. It was a near half an hour later when pounding footsteps came towards him. Scorpius looked up only to be met with a very out-of-breath and messy-haired Albus. He looked even more adorable than before with red-flushed cheeks and eyes bright with exhilaration.

Scorpius flushed and looked down, trying to hide exactly how flustered Albus got him. Instead, he picked up Albus' bag, handed it over and said, “for a moment there, I thought you’d forgot about me.”

“Are you kidding?” Albus laughed, taking his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “I don’t think I could.” Scorpius pretended it was a joke because he surely didn’t mean it. He picked his own bag up and slung it over his shoulder.

“Come on, the hotel’s like a two-minute walk this way,” he pointed, and they fell into step.

“I got lost, that’s why I was late. I didn’t mean to be,” Albus explained, running a hand through his hair. “I went try and get a tour around the lake and lost track of time and then I couldn't get a signal on my phone to find my way back." He sounded quite guilty, so Scorpius smiled to ease him.

“It’s fine. The lake’s a beautiful place.” Albus slung his bag onto the other shoulder, so his free hand dangled the same side as Scorpius’. He was all too aware every single time their hands brushed.

“It was, this whole place is beautiful.”

“How long are you staying for?”

Albus looked at him, eyes twinkling in the bright sun. It illuminated his tanned skin beautifully. Scorpius hadn't noticed his small amount of freckles across his cheeks and nose, but against the sunlight, they were more prominent.

“I’m not sure,” he spoke, kicking at his shoe. “Depends on what I find.”

“Find?” Scorpius stopped outside the hotel, eyeing him carefully. He pulled his sunglasses up, resting them in his hair.

Albus nodded, not giving any further explanation. "Is this the place?"

“Sure is, it’s quite nice. Stayed here for a week before we got our apartment.”

“Well, thanks.” Albus smiled at him, turning towards the door. Just when Scorpius thought that was it, Albus turned back around. “Will I see you again?”

Scorpius’ heart fluttered. “Do you want to?”

“I’d like that. Though, I could always look up.”

Perplexed, Scorpius looked to the sky and scrunched his nose. “Huh?”

“Scorpius. You’re named after a constellation, right? I’ll have to find you in the stars.”

Scorpius laughed, walking past him and into the hotel. He asked the clerk behind the desk for a pen and turned to Albus, who had joined him at the desk.

“Hand?” He held his hand out. Albus, confused, place his hand in Scorpius’ and Scorpius pulled him closer, scribbling his number of the back of Albus' hand. “You’ll be looking for a long time if you only look to the stars.”

Albus smiled, eyeing the number written on his hand like he was trying to remember it in case it suddenly disappeared. They said their goodbyes and Scorpius left Albus to it, walking the short distance back home. He lingered slightly, unable to keep the smile from his face and the feeling of euphoria. He had dreaded the day, but it turns out there was a silver lining.

He unlocked the front door, humming to himself as he entered and went straight through to the kitchen. His dad was cooking, the beautiful aroma floating throughout the house. His mum was sat at the dining room table with her glasses perched on the end of her nose, eyeing her laptop carefully but not actually typing anything.

“Hey, Dad, Mum," he greeted, patting his dad on the shoulder and kissing his mum on the cheek, sitting next to her. "What are you working on now?" He asked, smile broad.

She studied him for a moment, pushing her glasses into her hair. “Good day?”

Scorpius smiled. “It was alright.”

“You’re shining, why are you shining? Draco, honey, look at him.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes as his dad abandoned the pots and pans and made his way over. “You are glowing, Scorpius.”

“There’s only one explanation,” Astoria said.

“Mum-”

“You met a boy.”

Scorpius felt the heat scorch his cheeks.

“A boy?” Draco asked, now sitting down and crossing his legs, getting ready for the gossip.

“It’s not like that,” Scorpius assured.

“He must be special if he’s got you glowing like that,” his mum said.

“And to get you so flustered?” his dad added.

“Is that why you were home late, dear?”

“What were you doing?”

“Is he nice?”

“He better be nice.”

“You deserve the best.”

"Mum, Dad," Scorpius interrupted. "We just met, it’s nothing.

Scorpius’ phone vibrates a single time in his pocket, and he quickly extracts it, beaming when he sees the message from an unknown number reading: _It’s Albus, hi :)_. Scorpius excuses himself, running off to his bedroom but he just caught the end of his father’s words, thick with sarcasm.

“Yeah, it’s nothing.”

#

> _It’s Albus, hi :)_
> 
> ** _I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon._ **
> 
> _I was bored tbh_
> 
> ** _So, I’m just a source for your entertainment ;)_ **
> 
> _I hope you don’t mind being used like that_
> 
> _You busy?_
> 
> ** _Mum and dad are making dinner downstairs, I won’t have long._ **
> 
> _What about tomorrow?_
> 
> ** _Free all day, why?_ **
> 
> _Fancy meeting up?_

Albus put his phone down, tapping his fingers anxiously off his stomach whilst he waited for a reply. It had taken him nearly ten minutes just to send that text and he had no idea why. He was only asking the extremely gorgeous, kind, funny and endearing boy he’d met only today if he wanted to meet up. It was completely innocent and harmless.

Besides, he had no idea if said boy even liked boys. Surely, the stars weren’t going to align in Albus’ favour _that_ much. Nothing had ever worked out well for him. That was why he was in Italy, far away from his family, searching for something.

Searching, searching and searching.

The worst thing: he had no idea what he was searching for.

For as long as he could remember, he always felt like something was missing. Like there was this single puzzle piece that got lost under the sofa years and years ago and was later hoovered up by accident, thus leaving the puzzle forever unsolved. For as long as he could remember, he’d never fit in anywhere. Not in his family; not in Hogwarts; not in the Auror programme.

Albus was a student Auror for approximately three weeks before he dropped out and headed for the nearest plane. He never even said goodbye to anyone apart from Lily, and that was only because she was the one who convinced him to go. He can remember the words now.

_“If you’re not happy Albus, leave. Go find what you’ve been looking for your entire life.”_

_“I don’t even know what that is, Lily.”_

_“That’s why you have to find it. You can’t be miserable for the rest of your life, Albus.”_

And so, she flooed him to the nearest airport and shoved him on the first plane out of London. He hadn’t yet looked back.

A pinging noise from his phone snapped him from his reverie. He sat up quickly, anxiously swiping on the new message.

_ **Meet me outside the cafe at 11, I can show you the lake :)** _

Albus took a deep breath and lay back down, unable to keep the beam from his face. What was this boy doing to him? He’d barely known him five minutes and yet his heart was pounding faster than that time he ran from the Quidditch pitch to his dorm to escape from bullies.

He sent a quick confirmation message back and then rolled onto his stomach, hugging his pillow and beaming uncontrollably. He was pretty sure the only reason he fell asleep that night was because he wanted the night to pass quickly so a new day was on the horizon and he got to see the boy with stars in his eyes.

#

Scorpius attempted to get out of the house undetected that morning, so his parents wouldn’t question him relentlessly on his whereabouts. Unfortunately, the flooring creaked as he crept towards the front door and his father’s voice came from the living room.

“Scorpius?”

Scorpius froze, slightly annoyed he’d been caught. They’d never let him out now. He sighed, walking into the living room with an innocent smile. “Yeah, Dad?”

“Going somewhere?”

Scorpius looked sheepishly at his feet, toeing his one foot with the other. “No.”

He thought he heard the slightest sense of amusement when his dad next spoke. “I thought I raised you a better liar than that.”

Scorpius’ head shot up. He eyed his father carefully before looking to his mother, who was looking back with a fond smile. He went to defend himself when his dad beat him to it. Gone was the amusement in his tone. Now, he was being completely serious.

“Scorpius. You know why we move from place to place, we never kept that a secret from you. Please, respect that and our rules and do not try to sneak out. You would have had us worried sick.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, looking down and kicking his shoes together.

“It’s okay, dear,” his mum said. Out the corner of his eye, Scorpius saw her extend a hand to him. He walked to her, taking it gently and allowing her to pull him down onto the sofa and cuddled into her. Draco gave her a look as if to say, ‘_you’re too soft on him’._ She batted him away with her hand.

“I didn’t think you’d let me go,” Scorpius admitted, pulling out of his mum’s embrace and looking at his dad.

“Why would you think that?” Astoria asked, stroking his hair.

“Because you never let me go anywhere!” he shouted, standing up and flapping his arms dramatically. Draco seemed a little taken aback by his outburst.

“That’s not tru-”

“It is! It’s ‘come straight home from work, Scorpius’, ‘I’ll walk you there’, ‘you don’t need a job’, ‘no, you can’t meet your only friend’, ‘don’t be’ - ”

“I get it, Scorpius,” his dad shut him down. Scorpius deflated, crossing his arms like a stubborn child and waiting to be reprimanded. He didn’t want to have to cancel on Albus, but his parents had always been so strict. “Do I need to remind you of the _incident?_”

Scorpius shivered, avoiding eye contact. “No.”

“Where are you going?” his mother asked, thankfully changing the subject.

“To the lake.”

“On your own?”

“With the boy I met,” he admitted.

“Scorpius, how well do you know this boy?”

“How am I meant to meet new people, fall in love, if I can’t get to know them first?” he asked, half-annoyed.

His parents looked to each, sharing a silent conversation with just their eyes. They did that frequently. Scorpius had always hated it. He also loved it because it was one of the many times he was reminded how much they love each other. He longed for that with someone. He longed for someone to look at him the way his dad looked at his mum. He longed for those silent conversations, for that happiness and peace.

“Keep in regular contact, don’t be out too late - you know your curfew – and have fun.”

Scorpius looked at his dad. “You’re letting me go?”

“Yes. Now get out of here before I change my mind,” he smiled warmly. Scorpius beamed, jumping into action but not going towards the door, but to his dad. He flung his arms around him, thanking him over and over. Then he did the same with his mum, finally planting a kiss on her cheek before flying out the door.

He practically skipped towards the cafe, a spring in his step that’s never been there before. The sun was shining bright, softly illuminating the soft strands of grass. He squinted against the bright light, forgetting the prescription sunglasses balanced on his head. His normal glasses had been abandoned at home – Scorpius never liked wearing them. Even though his mum told him they made him look handsome. That was just a thing mums said.

Albus was already waiting for him outside the café, sitting in the outside seating area with a coffee. His black hair shone softly under the sun, looking as unruly as it had yesterday. He was clad in a pair of jeans and Scorpius wondered how he wasn’t sweating half to death. Albus never spotted him until Scorpius came up directly next to him, pointing at the chair.

“Is this seat taken?”

“Yeah, I was actually waiting for someone,” he said, a hint of amusement in his tone.

“Oh damn, I was hoping to sit next to the pretty boy.” As soon as he said it, Scorpius froze. That had not meant to come out. Stupid word vomit. Scorpius cursed his mouth for always being out of tune with his brain. His heart started pounding, the beginnings of a panic attack coming on. Then, Albus smiled widely, looking almost in awe at Scorpius.

“You think I’m pretty?” he asked, so quietly that Scorpius barely caught it over the blood rushing in his ears. Scorpius sat down in the chair opposite, focusing on calming himself down before answering.

“I do,” he finally managed, forcing a smile.

Albus smiled wider. “So, tour guide, what did you have planned?”

Scorpius jumped up, his excitement taking over. He began to walk off and Albus followed. “A walk by the lake, I could show you some historical sites and tell you all about everything, this place is truly beautiful with a remarkable history and then maybe we could go for lunch somewhere because it’s already late morning and I know this adorable place by the lake that me and my parents go to all the time, the foods great and the workers will happily talk about their culture all day if you ask them too though I think they get a little annoyed at me sometimes because I tend to talk too much and what – why are you staring at me?”

Albus chuckled and shook his head fondly. “You’re adorable, did you know that?”

Scorpius flushed the brightest shade of red. “Most people tell me to shut up.”

“I guess I’m not most people,” Albus said, walking past him with a smile. Scorpius called out to him, pointing in the opposite direction. Albus blushed, quickly changing direction.

They fell into casual conversation as they reached the lake. Scorpius recited random facts he’d learnt since he’d arrived here whilst Albus took pictures on his muggle camera. They walked close, their hands touching ever-so-slightly now and again. Each time, Scorpius blushed. The sun shone down softly on the lake, reflecting smoothly against the waves. The waves lapped gently, barely any evidence of the creatures swimming beneath it.

Scorpius walked to the edge, toes just slightly hanging over the pier. He looked out to the far side, another world the opposite end. The lake was incredibly large and impossible to walk all the way around. It was more of a small ocean than a lake, but it was still beautiful.

“It’s beautiful,” Scorpius said. He heard the clicking of the camera behind him and turned to face Albus.

He smiled softly, staring directly into Scorpius’ eyes and said, “yeah, it is.”

They stopped for lunch at the place Scorpius had promised after about an hour of walking. Scorpius got in contact with his parents letting them know that he was, in fact, still alive and Albus had not, yet, tried to murder him. His father wasn’t too happy with the sarcastic update. Albus insisted on paying for lunch, which got Scorpius thinking thoughts he probably shouldn’t be thinking. And probably shouldn’t be as excited about as he was.

_Was this a date? _It felt like a date. But, he’d only just met Albus yesterday. Do people date that fast? Scorpius cursed his parents for keeping him isolated from the world for so long. He had no idea how this kind of stuff worked.

He concluded, however, that after they started walking again, and Albus very smoothly brushed his hand against Scorpius' before gently linking their fingers that this was, in fact, a date. He was on a date. A real-life date. With a real-life boy.

Scorpius decided to stop dwelling on it and simply enjoy it. Enjoy Albus’ hand in his despite how hot and sweaty his hands were. Enjoying that Albus seemed to actually like his endless rambles and stared at him as if he hung the moon. Scorpius was actually pretty sure Albus did hang the moon.

“So, you never said where you’re from yesterday,” Albus said when the conversation simmered down.

“Originally?” Scorpius asked, slowing down to look back out at the lake again. They were pretty far from the start at this point and should start heading back soon. Albus nodded. “I’m from England, or rather, my parents are. I was born in France.”

“Have you ever been to England?”

“Once, when I was eleven. My parents took me back to go to school but… we had to leave again,” Scorpius turned, facing back to Albus and smiling. “We should start back in the other direction, it’s a long way home and my parents will kill me if I’m too late.”

Albus nodded, offering his hand again. Scorpius smiled, taking it happily and beginning the walk home.

“It’s kind of weird,” Scorpius started, getting Albus’ attention. “My parents barely let me out of the house and yet you’re here and your parents are hundreds of miles away and they have no idea you’re off gallivanting with a boy.”

“Gallivanting?” Albus laughed. Scorpius nodded his head seriously.

“_Scusami! Scusami!_” A voice called from behind them, Scorpius turned quickly to see a man jogging to catch up with them, waving something in the air. At first glance, it looked like a wand, and Scorpius had his hand in his pocket to check it was still there and ready to use if needed. “You dropped this,” the man said, out of breath once he’d caught up.

He felt Albus tense up next to him, but he nodded stiffly and thanked the man in broken Italian even though he clearly spoke English as well. The man handed it over, confirming Scorpius’ suspicions that it was a wand. Albus quickly pocketed it, and the man didn’t seem fazed at all, simply nodding at Albus and walking back in the direction he came.

Scorpius, however, couldn’t forget about. Surely, _surely,_ Albus wasn’t a wizard. But if he was, it would explain why he thought Scorpius looked familiar yesterday. He’s probably seen him in the papers. The incident from when he was eleven went pretty big and was no doubt all over the news. Scorpius had grown a lot since then, so that would be why it never clicked.

“Scorpius?” He didn’t realise he’d stopped walking until Albus called his name. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“You’re a wizard.” A statement, not a question. He never even meant to ask, but it just came out.

Albus looked to the floor, clearly debating whether or not he should lie, but the silence only confirmed Scorpius’ suspicions.

“So am I,” Scorpius said, hoping it would settle Albus’ nerves. Albus looked up, confused.

“You are?”

Scorpius hesitated a moment before pulling his wand out, presenting it to Albus proudly. “I am.”

And that was that. They started walking, introducing wizarding things into their conversation. Albus talked about Hogwarts when Scorpius prompted him, but he said he didn’t have many nice things to say. Scorpius had always wanted to go to Hogwarts and cried for three weeks straight when their plans got foiled.

Scorpius walked Albus back to the hotel at around tea time. He asked Scorpius to dinner, but he had to refuse knowing his mum was moments away from having dinner on the table already. And there was no way he was taking Albus back to his parents yet.

Their pace slowed as they rounded the corner to the hotel. Neither wanted the walk to be over. They said their goodbyes and Scorpius bent down to kiss Albus’ cheek. That was when Albus turned his face and caught his lips instead. Scorpius expected fireworks in his stomach, butterflies thundering and creating earthquakes. But it wasn’t like that.

It was quiet.

Albus’ deepened the kiss, and Scorpius’ mind cleared. It was usually so full, thoughts buzzing faster than they can be caught. Thoughts that drove him to panic and thoughts that scared him half to death. They were all gone. His mind was clear for the first time ever.

And it was all because of Albus’ lips on his. When he pulled away and whispered another goodbye and a promise to see him soon, the thoughts came crashing back. Scorpius ran home, his mind running faster than his legs. When he got back home, he crashed to the sofa with a wide grin that would not disappear.

“Good day?” his dad asked.

Scorpius beamed harder, still feeling Albus’ lips on his, the tingle never faded. “Great day.”

#

_Lily,_

_I think I found it… I think I found my missing piece._

_I’ll call you in a few days when I’m sure._

_Love,_

_Albus._

_#_

Albus didn’t see Scorpius for two days following their… sort of date that ended in a definitely date-y way. Scorpius was busy working and Albus didn’t want to disturb him and seem _too _eager. Even though he definitely was eager. Every time he thought of that night his cheeks heated up. He could still feel Scorpius’ lips on his, soft and warm. The tingly feeling remained, and he was pretty sure it wouldn’t go away until his lips touched Scorpius’ once again.

And Albus had a good feeling for that evening when he was meeting Scorpius after his shift. Scorpius insisted on taking him out for dinner at his favourite restaurant overlooking the lake.

In the days he hadn’t seen Scorpius, Albus had decided to scan the town to figure out exactly what Scorpius loved about it so much. He’d seen it almost instantly. It was quaint and beautiful. The kind of place used in the background of films for the aesthetic. There were always people on bikes, couples holding hands and people taking pictures. There were few tourists, most the people were a permanent fixture of the town.

He also caught up with his parents and brother and sister. He hadn’t spoken to them in about a week, so he told them where he’d been and that he was currently in Italy and planning to stay for a while. For no reason whatsoever. Totally not because of the blond-haired gorgeous boy he just met.

He left Scorpius out of the letters. For now.

Albus changed his outfit three times before leaving the hotel for his date. Even though Scorpius was coming straight from work, Albus still wanted to make an effort. Albus checked his pockets to make sure he had everything, glancing one last time in the mirror and running a hand through his curls. There was no taming them, but that didn’t mean he didn’t try.

Albus’ heart was pounding the entire short walk to the café, where he sat on the wall opposite and waited for Scorpius to finish. Scorpius emerged not long after in significantly nicer clothes than Albus expected, and with a smile that radiated the energy of a thousand suns.

“Hi,” Scorpius greeted, roaming his eyes over him, his expression of elation somehow growing.

“Hey, you,” Albus replied, his own smile growing. Scorpius’ happiness was contagious. “Good day at work?”

Scorpius nodded as they fell into step. “It was good, though I did have a customer who started shouting at me because we ran out of vanilla syrup and Luca took more than five minutes to get some from the storeroom, so apparently that was my fault." He slightly chuckled, but there was something in his voice that showed that it bothered him more than he was letting on.

“That’s shitty of them,” Albus supplied.

“I’m kind of used to it, working in customer service; being Scorpius Ma-” he cut himself off, shaking his head. Albus decided not to push it. He could feel like there was something Scorpius was keeping from him, a part of himself he was holding back. Albus wasn’t one to judge, there was no way he was about to tell Scorpius he was a Potter. That name never did him any good.

Albus couldn't help but think he knew Scorpius from somewhere. He was British and had spent a short time in London, there was a chance Albus had seen him when he was younger. But, he couldn't quite place his face to any knowledge. He decided to leave it. If Scorpius was uncomfortable then Albus would respect that and not pry into his life.

“Where are we going?” Albus said instead.

The bright smile returned to his face. “The restaurant is called _Antico Caffe del Lago_, it’s small and adorable. The food is great, and the people are so nice! It looks over the lake with an exquisite view. We’ll sit outside because it’s still warm and you need to see the sun set over the lake. It’s my mum’s favourite place, which also makes it mine,” he rambled.

Albus smiled at him fondly. “You talk about your mum like she hung the moon.”

“She did. My mum is - ” he sighed happily. “My mum is my rock, truly. She has always been there for me, no matter what. If I’m hurting, or I’ve had a bad dream, she’s there in a second. I love her more than anything in this entire world. Sometimes I worry I don’t tell her enough. She’s my whole world, she crafted me into the person I am today. She’s kind, beautiful, full of light and love. She’s my mum; she’s the best mum in the entire world.”

Albus could listen to him talk about his mum all day. The way he spoke about her was inspiring. There are so many kids his age – Albus included – who take their parents for granted. Not Scorpius. It’s very obvious that his parents mean everything to him. It made Albus feel guilty for walking away from his so easily. He also didn’t tell his mum he loved her enough.

“That’s beautiful,” Albus said. “I’d love to meet her someday.”

Scorpius looked at him with an expression Albus couldn’t decipher before smiling softly. “I’d like that, too.”

Albus took his hand, swinging it softly between them. His heart melted when Scorpius smiled so widely his eyes scrunched up.

The restaurant was everything Scorpius described it as. Albus could see why he loved it so much. The food was incredible and Albus was happy to listen to Scorpius talk all day about whatever graced his beautiful mind. When he got going about something he was passionate about, he was animated. His eyes shone a different kind of silver, full of sunshine and light. Alive: that was the best way to describe him.

Scorpius was a rainbow. An enigma on an incredibly dark day. Iridescent lights showering the sky when the rain poured, and the sun struggled to shine. His vibrant energy was capturing, contagious. He was everything Albus was looking for. A light. He’d known him three days, but now he couldn’t imagine his life without his smile. Was that possible in such a short amount of time?

After dinner – Scorpius paid – he led Albus out onto a pier that overlooked the lake where they sat with their legs dangling over the edge and waiting for the sun to set. They sat touching thighs, and Scorpius was currently playing with Albus’ fingers.

“I hope you find it,” he said suddenly, not looking anywhere except at their hands.

Albus furrowed his brows and looked at him. “Find what?”

He shrugged, disconnecting one hand and gesturing vaguely before returning it. “Whatever it is that you’re looking for.”

Scorpius looked at him, smiling softly like he was hurting but trying to hide it. Albus held his gaze, determined and intense and said, “I think I already have.”

“Then, I hope it’s everything you dreamed it would be.”

“He is.”

#

_Hi Mum and Dad,_

_It’s me, Al. I know, it’s been a while since I last wrote. I’m sorry. I’d love to make some excuse about travelling being tiring and overwhelming, and it is, but that’s not the reason I haven’t been writing. I just… haven’t been. No excuse, just me being your shitty son as usual. I truly am sorry, and I’m going to try harder to write. I've met someone, and he made me realise that parents are a rare and beautiful gift and that I should cherish them. I've never heard anyone talk about their parents the way he does, it made me feel guilty for not telling you I love you more. And I do, love you, that is. More than anything. _

_A quick update: I’m currently in Italy, staying in a hotel near Lake Orta. It’s beautiful, I know you’d love it here, mum. It’s a muggle village and everyone’s really friendly. Grandpa would be beside himself. I'm afraid I have to go, sorry the letter's so short. I’ll write a longer one as soon as._

_Hope you’re both well, and I hope Lily and James aren’t driving you crazy too much. I know I always was the one to tame them. _

_I love you both,_

_Albus._

#

The weeks went by far too quickly. Scorpius spent the days he wasn’t working with Albus, showing him the city whilst they explored each other’s mouths with just as much enthusiasm. His parents were getting increasingly worried about this boy he was spending time with, but Scorpius kept his mouth shut. Albus was currently his and no one else’s, he wasn’t ready to share him yet.

“Where are you going to today?” his mum asked, hovering in the doorway of his bedroom.

Scorpius smiled, turning from his mirror to face her and holding his arms out. Astoria got the message and walked over, embracing her son in a loving hug. “The beach with Al.”

“You’re spending a lot of time with him; will I get to meet him soon?” She smoothed his hair down as they pulled away. Scorpius brushed her off, knowing she was messing it up and he wanted it to be perfect.

“Soon, Mum, I promise.” He kissed her forehead, wishing he’d never grown taller than her.

“Be safe today, you know how we worry.”

“I’m always safe, you don’t need to worry.”

Astoria smiled softly. “I know, my little prince. You’ve grown into a beautiful person.” She pulled away and sat on the end of his bed. “Though, I do have a few questions.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes dramatically, collapsing on the bed next to her. “Shoot.”

“This boy… how much do you know about him?”

“Muuuuuuuuuum!”

“I know, I know. But, your father is worried.” She patted him lightly on the thigh, sending him a warming smile.

Scorpius sighed, giving in. “His name is Albus, he’s from England, he’s cute and sweet and doesn’t roll his eyes when I ramble too much and he’s travelling to ‘find himself’ or something, he’s quite insecure which is super adorable, and he doesn’t have the best relationship with his parents, but he wants to fix it. He has a little sister who is his world and an older brother who annoys him, but he loves anyway. He has the brightest green eyes I’ve ever seen, and they are truly beautiful and why are you staring at me?”

He didn't realise before, but there was a bright grin on his face and his mum was giving him that knowing look. "You're in deep, Scorpius."

“What? No I’m not!” he protested.

“You are completely whipped. You’ve known the boy, what, three weeks? And look at you, he makes you shine like the sun,” she half-teased, tickling him slightly.

Scorpius leaned back on the bed, covering his eyes. “Muuuum, stoooop!”

“My little boy’s in love,” she cooed.

“Not love!”

“Please, honey, you remind me of myself when I met your father. I would not stop gushing over him.”

“Mum, please!”

“He must be pretty special, this boy of yours.”

“He’s not mine!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, my boy.” She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, getting up and sending him one last wink before she was out the door. Scorpius leaned back, groaning to himself and trying to get over the embarrassment. It’s been three weeks, could he really fall in love with someone that fast?

Yes, Albus was special. And he was beautiful. And he listened, and he would smile whenever Scorpius rambled. And his lips were truly something else. Scorpius had never kissed anyone before, but he was sure that if he were to kiss someone else in the future (not that he wanted to) they would never match up to Albus. They would never even come close.

Scorpius groaned to himself again. His mum was right… he’s in deep.

#

> _James! Guess what I’m about to get!_
> 
> ** _On my nerves?_ **
> 
> _I hate you._
> 
> ** _I’m sorry, my dear brother, what are you about to get?_ **
> 
> _A boyfriend!_
> 
> ** _Shit the bed._ **
> 
> _What is so shocking about that?_
> 
> ** _Nothing, but, wow, you must like him then, yeah? You’ve never really expressed any interest in dating before and now suddenly you’re halfway around the world and you’re telling me you’re dating someone._ **
> 
> _I do like him, yeah. He's great. And gorgeous._
> 
> ** _Pics or it didn’t happen._ **
> 
> _I’ll send some later._

Albus pocketed his phone as Scorpius approached, clad in chino shorts and a buttoned shirt that was half undone. He looked ethereal, the sun glinting off his silver hair like a halo. He had his glasses perched on his head, used as a hair accessory, and his sunglasses on his face.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted, pecking his cheek. Albus had come to learn that cheek-kissing was Scorpius’ thing.

“I don’t have any right to that title when you’re here,” Albus replied, loving the blush that covered his cheeks.

“You have a way with words, Albus, I’ll give you that.” Scorpius grabbed his hands, leading him in the direction of a bus stop.

It was only a short bus journey to the beach that Scorpius liked so much, but he insisted on that specific one as opposed to any in walking distance. Albus was not one to complain, even though the bus was cramped and stuffy. It was overflowing with passengers clearly wanting to make the most of summer sun, which meant Albus was pressed firmly against Scorpius and attempted to use him as a balance beam. It was pretty much unsuccessful as Scorpius was quite possibly the clumsiest person he’d ever met.

When the journey was over, Albus was sincerely thankful. Scorpius, however, never seemed to lose his excitement. He practically bounced off the bus, not letting go of Albus’ hand, and all but ran down to the beach, rambling about having to get a good spot.

“Here,” Scorpius concluded about halfway down, getting his towel out of his bag and setting it down.

Albus followed in movement, settling his own towel down and getting comfortable. Albus pulled his t-shirt off, getting the sun cream out of his bag and beginning to slather it onto his chest.

“How does your fair skin cope in this heat?” Albus asked, but he never received an answer. He looked up at Scorpius, who was staring right at him – or rather, his chest – with his mouth half-open. Albus tried not to smile too widely, impressed that he was clearly impressing Scorpius, and waved his sun-cream-covered hand. “Scorpius?”

"Hm, oh, what?" he said, snapping his eyes up to Albus' eyes. Albus chuckled but thought he'd save him the embarrassment and not ask further questions.

“Your skin? How does it cope in this weather?”

“Oh, it doesn’t… er – mostly,” he turned his gaze away to the sea and muttered something Albus didn’t quite catch.

“What was that?”

“I said you’re really hot,” he muttered again, slightly louder this time. Albus couldn’t help but smile.

Albus crawled the small distance that was separating them and guided Scorpius’ chin with a finger, so he was looking back at him. “I am?”

Albus couldn’t tell if it was the sun causing his cheeks to go that red or if it was just how hard he was blushing. For good measure, he grabbed his sun cream and put a small dollop on his finger, then started spreading it across Scorpius’ face.

“You are,” he assured. Once finished, Albus leaned in for a sweet kiss which Scorpius responded to happily.

“So,” Albus started when he pulled away. He had planned how to say this over and over, but now he was here, he had no idea. “I know we – er, sorry, I-”

“It’s okay, take your time,” Scorpius said. Scorpius grabbed his hand and threaded his fingers through, giving them a gentle squeeze.

Albus took a deep breath and looked out to the shore for a moment. The beach was packed with families, kids swimming far out in the sea and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Albus remembered times when his family would take trips to the beach. Every member of the Weasley-Potters desperately trying not to lose a single member of their family whilst also trying to not freak out and make sure everyone was having fun. Those were always the best days of the summer holidays. If he missed anything about home, it was those annual trips to the beach. This year was the first one he’d missed.

Scorpius squeezed his hand, bringing him back to reality.

“I know we’ve only just met,” Albus tried again. “But, I – er – really, um, like you. And this may be a little too soon and the future is still so undecided but, I was hoping that – maybe, you – erm, would maybe, possibly, like to be my boyfriend?”

Albus usually prided himself on being able to read facial expressions. Years of being able to become invisible and fade into the background gave him practice. But right now, he had no idea what Scorpius was thinking. His sunglasses were blocking his eyes and his lips were slightly pouted. It was an excruciatingly long minute before Scorpius answered.

“Albus, I-” he faltered for a moment. “I would like that – love it, even, but-”

“You’re scared about what will happen-”

“When you decide to move on. What happens to me then?”

“I could stay… or you could come with me,” he brainstormed. Truth was, he had no idea what the future held. He just knew what was happening in the now, and now it was Scorpius and only Scorpius. “Or we could tackle that obstacle when we get there? But for now, I’m staying.”

Scorpius looked out to the sea, then, surprisingly, smiled. “Yeah, let’s focus on the now, boyfriend.”

Albus tackled him in a kiss, letting himself fill up on Scorpius.

They stayed there the entire day, talking about nothing and everything. Getting to know each other and exploring the beach. Albus somehow managed to get Scorpius in the ocean, and then jumped on him, causing them both to fall straight under the water. They emerged laughing and breathless. Scorpius couldn’t remember the last time he felt so weightless.

He was on cloud nine, lost in the moment. He was free. Sharing the day with this beautiful boy he barely knew yet had never felt so comfortable around. Being with Albus was like sailing on a boat, weightless with the wind in his hair, without a single care in the world. He was sure that even if that boat started sinking, Albus would be there to hold his head above the water. He was a life raft there to stop him drowning. With Albus, he could let go. He could float through the air and know he would be there to ground him.

With Albus, he was totally and truly free.

He wondered if that’s what being in love really was.

Scorpius insisted on staying till after sunset – his favourite time of the day. The beach was cleared of most families at this point, leaving him and Albus as the only few left. The buses would probably have stopped running, but they had decided to taxi their way home. They moved spots to the back of the beach to avoid the oncoming tide, where they knew it wouldn’t reach.

Now they were alone, Scorpius cast a spell to clean them of any sand and then another one to keep it off them – it was a spell his mother taught him when he was young. They sat cuddled together, Scorpius in Albus' arms – and watched the sun go down, welcoming the night. As the stars began to shine above them, they got lost to each other. Their mouths exploring every inch, their tongues tasting things they’ve never tasted before, and hands venturing to shores otherwise left untouched.

#

“SHIT!”

Scorpius flew out of Albus’ tight embrace, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he watched the sunrise. He scrambled up, muttering swear word after swear word and scrambling around for his clothes. Albus was rousing when he was pulling his shirt on, leaving it unbuttoned to search for his phone.

“You weren’t going to do a runner, were you?” he joked, but the smile dropped once he realised Scorpius was clearly in a panic. “What’s wrong?”

“We were out all night, Albus. My parents are going to murder me, that’s if they haven’t already got the police out looking for me.” He found his phone and tried to press it on, but it had died overnight. “Fuck, do you have charge?”

Albus checked his phone and shook his head solemnly.

“I need to go, _now_.” Scorpius had never moved so fast before. He gathered all his belongings and sprinted to the bus stop. Albus was seconds behind him, in only a slightly lessened state of panic.

On the bus, Scorpius kept tapping his foot over and over, a slight distraction from the worry and hurt he’s currently causing his parents. It seemed the bus was driving slower than ever and the longer it took, the more his anxiety peaked. He tapped his fingers against his collarbone rapidly, each tap getting harder and harder as his heartbeat grew faster and faster, pounding in his ears over and over and over and getting louder and louder and-

“Scorp?”

Scorpius turned to face Albus, who now had a hand over Scorpius’ which was tapping his collarbone, stopping the action.

“Are you okay?” His voice was slightly muffled over pounding in his ears, he could just make it out.

Scorpius nodded, faster than intended. “Yeah… they’re going to be so worried. They do everything for me and have always protected me. They move countries to protect me from people who are cruel to me just because I was born, and they always look out for me. They made sure I was always safe, that I always knew I was loved, and this is how I repay them? I’m such a bad son, I don’t deserve them.” He never intended for any of those words to come out, but now they had and there was no taking them back.

If Albus was confused about anything said, he didn’t show it. Instead, he squeezed Scorpius’ hand tight and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. “They love you, and yes, they’ll be worried, but you’re safe. They’ll mostly be happy about that.”

The bus was finally rounding the corner to the bus stop. It was just a quick run home for Scorpius and then he could face the music. He was not prepared to see the pain he caused his parents.

Just for something to do, Scorpius nodded his head again. “It’s probably best you go back to your hotel, I don't want them blaming you," Scorpius said. "I'll text you later if I'm not grounded for life. Oh, and Al?”

Albus hummed in response.

“Last night was incredible, truly. Thank you.” To distract himself, Scorpius brushed some of Albus’ unruly curls from his face and kissed him passionately, if only to show that the words he said were nothing but the truth. Albus’ hands made their way to Scorpius’ cheeks as he deepened the kiss.

When he pulled away, all he said was, “you’re incredible.”

Upon exiting the bus, Scorpius kissed Albus goodbye briefly before dashing off in the opposite direction, towards home. He had never run so fast before, his legs burning by the time he reached his door. His chest heaved in attempts to get more air into them as he pulled his keys out and struggled to place it in the lock due to his shaking hands. When he finally did, and he was pushing the door open, his anxiety took over the pounding of his heart.

“MUM?” he called, racing into the living room to find it empty. “DAD?”

“Scorpius? Oh, my baby boy!” That was his mum, coming in from the kitchen and instantly wrapping her arms around her son.

“I am so, so sorry, Mummy. It was an accident and I didn’t mean to scare you,” he sobbed, the tears spilling over his cheeks uncontrollably. He hugged her tightly, hoping to show how much he loved her and how sorry he was in that one embrace.

“Scorpius?” his father said, disappointment leaking in his tone. Scorpius pulled away from his mum, instantly curling into himself, playing with his hands in front of him. He looked up to his dad through his hair, chewing thoroughly on his bottom lip – a bad, anxious habit he’d never been able to break. “Where have you been? We have been worried sick.”

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, feeling very much like a light drizzle compared to his fathers’ thunder. “I- We- I fell asleep. It really was an accident, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

"Scorpius, how could you be so irresponsible?" If anything, his father's cool anger was scarier than him shouting. Scorpius would take him shouting at him any day. His parents were rarely angry with him. Scorpius was an angel of a child who never got into trouble, simply because he never had the chance. He’d never been to school, he’d never been out of his parents grasp.

“I’m sorry-”

“After everything we’ve been through, and this is how you repay us?”

“Draco,” Astoria warned.

“I’m very disappointed in you.” And that was somehow so much worse.

“Dad, I-”

“No, Scorpius.” He put his hand up as a warning before stalking out the room, shaking his head slightly. Scorpius went to shout after him, but his mum put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

This was worse. This was so much worse. Having his dad disappointed in him caused an ache in his heart. He would rather have a shouting match where they screamed at each other until their throats hurt. Knowing he’d worried them was bad enough but disappointing him added a cherry on top.

Lost for words, Scorpius gave his mum a grim smile, kissing her on the cheek: a silent thank you for not being disappointed too. Then, he walked off to his bedroom and curled up under the sheets of his bed, feeling all too sorry for himself. He pulled his phone out to find a message from Albus.

_I’m sorry and I hope everything is okay with your parents. Let me know when you can xo_

Despite himself, Scorpius smiled to himself. He was scared for a moment he’d scared Albus away. Scared that he’d only just got his first boyfriend and he was about to lose him in a second. Luckily, Albus is a much better person than he originally gave him credit for.

#

“So, what did he say?” Albus asked as he stroked Scorpius’ hair. It had been a week since the whole debacle with his dad, and Draco was only just getting over it. He had started speaking to Scorpius again, but not like he used to. Astoria was water to his fire, and he was slowly forgiving Scorpius for his…delinquency.

Scorpius lifted his head from Albus’ lap. They were in Albus’ room at his hotel. Albus wanted to go for a walk, but Scorpius still wasn't feeling up to much. Fighting with his dad was taking its toll, so Albus relented and took up Scorpius’ offer for him to come over. The television was on playing some Italian show that they were both ignoring.

“Just that he was disappointed, and that after everything they’ve done for me, this is how I repay them. I hate fighting with him. It’s exhausting.”

“Come on,” Albus said, stroking his thumb gently before climbing off the bed and switching the television off.

“Where are we going?”

“Out, you need it. You can’t sit a mope anymore, it’s not good for you. And you love this city and love exploring it. Let’s go do that.”

“Albus.”

“Come on!” He tugged on Scorpius’ arm. Scorpius groaned loudly before relenting, following Albus out the door and out onto the streets. Albus held tight onto his hand, being the one to talk constantly rather than Scorpius. It was a nice change, watching Albus light up when he spoke about his siblings. His little sister, Lily, was about to start her sixth-year at Hogwarts and taking on the role of Quidditch captain for Gryffindor. Albus was incredibly proud of her and it showed. His older brother, James, had completed his Curse Breaking apprenticeship and was starting his official job very soon.

Scorpius watched him as he spoke, watched the spark in his enchanting green eyes; the enthralling smile on his lips that seemed a permanent fixture as long as he was speaking of his siblings. Albus spoke with his hands, and the one that wasn’t holding Scorpius’ was gesticulating dramatically, whilst the other one kept jerking before he realised that it couldn't join the other.

“Come meet my mum,” Scorpius said before he could catch himself. It was a random thought, but as soon as he said, he knew that’s what he wanted.

Albus froze to look at him, a quizzical look on his face. “Really?”

“Only if you want to. She just – she keeps asking about you and well,” Scorpius stopped talking, taking to playing with Albus’ fingers and looking anywhere but at Albus himself. “Well, I really like you. You’re my b-boyfriend and -”

“Scorpius,” Albus said, voice full of fondness, lifting his chin to meet his eyes. “I would love to.”

So, they headed to Scorpius’ house. His dad was out for the afternoon and Scorpius was hoping to avoid him altogether. He would like his dad to meet Albus, but maybe when they’re on better terms. They walked with their hands swinging together, making easy conversation, like it’s always been for them.

They’d only known each other for about a month, but it feels as though they’ve been best friends for years. Scorpius couldn’t help but imagine the possibility of he and Albus being best friends since they were eleven should Scorpius have gone to Hogwarts like he was supposed to. His life would have been so different. He would have had a friend – maybe even more than one. He wouldn’t have been so lonely. His parents were great, but he did live a lonely childhood.

His heart was pounding when they approached the house, but Albus was smiling broadly.

“This is cute,” he commented as Scorpius opened the front gate.

“It’s quite small, but it’s home,” he replied, shooting a smile back. Albus’ smile calmed his beating heart slightly and he found an underlying confidence. Besides, Albus was probably feeling more nervous than him.

“Mum?” Scorpius called as he entered the house, not letting go of Albus’ hand. There was no response, so Scorpius led Albus through the house and into the conservatory attached to the back. It had a permanent silencing spell on it, so Astoria could focus on her novel, or art, or whatever project she decided to work on that day.

He slowly opened the door, peering in to check she was there. “Mum?”

Astoria looked up. She was painting today. She had a little bit of green paint in her hair and a white streak across her cheek. Her dungarees were splattered with paint and a paintbrush in her hair, pinning her messy bun in place. She smiled softly at Scorpius, and even wider when she caught sight of Albus just behind him.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Scorpius said, pulling on Albus’ hand. “This is Albus.”

Astoria stood, making her way over. “Hi, hello! I’m Astoria. Scorpius hasn’t stopped talking about you,” she greeted, pulling Albus into a hug that he seemed slightly taken aback by at first.

“Mum!” Scorpius protested.

“All good things I hope,” Albus said, sending a wink to Scorpius.

“Of course!”

“It’s lovely to meet you. Scorpius speaks the world of you,” Albus smiled. Astoria visibly softened, sending her fondest smile in Scorpius’ direction. It was clear in that moment the close relationship Scorpius had with his parents. Albus knew they were close, but seeing this small interaction, it was obvious they meant the world to each other.

“Tea!” Astoria said suddenly, clapping Albus on the shoulders to guide him out. Scorpius laughed, grabbing Albus’ hand and guiding him to the kitchen, Astoria was right behind them. Astoria got busy on making the tea, whilst Scorpius went searching through the cupboards for something sweet. He settled on a pack of shortbread biscuits decorated with icing sugar and set them down on the table.

“What were you working on, Mum?” Scorpius asked, taking a biscuit.

“I had a new inspiration for an art piece this morning and as you and your father were both out, I thought I’d get a start on it,” she replied, bringing over a tray of sugar and milk, swatting Scorpius’ hand when he went to reach for another biscuit.

Scorpius smirked, “and will you finish this one?”

Astoria turned back to them with a mock-offended look. “Don’t get cheeky. Teasing your poor mother like that,” she scolded with a fond eye roll.

“You tease me all the time! At least I finished that one book of poems I wrote.”

The kettle boiled, and Astoria poured the three cups of tea and bought them over, settling one in front of Albus and Scorpius before adding an unhealthy amount of sugar to her own and milk. Scorpius followed suit and Albus gaped.

“I knew you liked sugar, but wow,” he remarked. Both Scorpius and Astoria shared a glance and giggled.

“Blame Mum, I told you I get my sweet tooth from her. And my creative essence.”

“And everything else but your looks,” Astoria said fondly.

“And your smile,” Albus said, earning a fond look with the same smile from the both of them. “He definitely has your smile.” Scorpius flushed, smiling so widely he hung his head in embarrassment, hiding the crinkle of his eyes. Albus said he looked cute when he smiled that widely, Scorpius thought very differently. It was nice to hear that he had something of his mums in his facial structure. Most people told him he looked like his dad, and that was one of the reasons he was hated so widely in the wizarding world. The other reasons he didn’t like to think about.

“Astoria?” A voice called: his father. Scorpius froze, tensing up. Albus must have noticed and placed a hand over his. His mum patted his shoulder, a silent gesture telling him it will all be okay.

“Kitchen, honey.”

“The market was crazy today, really busy,” he started calling throughout the house. “I think a boat must have pulled in from the lake with a lot of tourists, it’s raining people out there and-”

He stopped as he entered the kitchen, noticing the extra body. Scorpius looked at him, watching the colour drain from his face. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. He eyed Albus warily, swallowing thickly and then turned to Scorpius. “Who’s this?” he asked, voice strained.

“Albus,” he said, “the boy I’ve been seeing.”

“Albus…?”

“Potter, sir,” Albus finished. _Potter._ Scorpius knew that name. That name was the reason his father fled England after the war. Harry Potter, the saviour of the wizarding world, told his dad to run and never come back if he knew what was good for him. And Scorpius had been off seeing, kissing, _canoodling_ with his _son._

“Scorpius, get over here, _now._”

“Draco,” Astoria warned at the same time Scorpius said, “Dad?”

Albus stood up, clearly hearing the apprehension in Draco’s voice. Scorpius stood in front of him.

“Scorpius, here, now.” Scorpius, knowing better than to argue with his dad – especially at the moment – walked over to him. Draco seized his wrist and pushed him behind him like he was protecting him… but from Albus? Scorpius had been seeing him for a month, if Albus wanted to harm him, he would have by now.

“Sir, I-”

“Don’t you dare come near my son,” Draco cut Albus off. “How did you find us? Did Potter send you?”

“Why would my dad… what’s going on?” Albus said, clearly perplexed. Astoria – ever the loving mother and kind person, stepped in front of Albus protectively.

“Draco, stop being ridiculous, he’s just a kid.”

“He’s never coming anywhere near my boy again, get him out.”

“I think Scorpius can decide that for himself, he’s eighteen.” There was a fierceness to Astoria, something Scorpius rarely saw. He knew she had that side to her, that extremely protective side. He’d seen it a few times, but not for a while. And not for anyone but him. But here she was, protecting Albus like her own son. Scorpius felt a wave of affection for his mum: he truly loved her. He just wished his dad would also understand.

Scorpius stepped out from behind his dad, pulling his arm off him. He looked at Albus, knowing now he’d have to admit the truth. “Now we know who you are it’s only fair you know me… I’m Scorpius Malfoy.”

"Malfoy…? Like the family who worked for Voldemort?" Scorpius saw his dad visibly flinch. It wasn't anything he was proud of and certainly wasn't his fault. His dad was forced into what he did as a child, and he had long moved on. Had long accepted the consequences of his actions.

“You’ve probably heard horror stories of us, and I’d understand if you want to walk away and never see me again, but we’re nothing like those horror stories.” Scorpius went to step towards him, but Draco’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Scorpius, are you telling me neither of you knew who you were?” Scorpius shook his head, ashamed. Now his father would definitely never let him see Albus again.

Albus stepped forward, around Astoria and said, “I didn’t tell Scorpius my last name because all it has ever caused me is trouble. I left England, I travelled the world, to find out who I am. To distance myself from my dad’s fame. My siblings loved it, but that life was never for me. I was bullied at school for looking like my dad but being nothing like him; for being in Slytherin; for being different. When I found out Scorpius was a wizard, I kept my mouth shut about my name. I didn’t want him to assume anything about me, I wanted a fresh start.”

“And I kept my mouth shut because I know what my last name means in the wizarding world,” Scorpius said. “After the incident in Diagon Alley… I’ve seen the cruelty of the world first hand. I didn’t want Albus to turn on me too, so I selfishly kept that part from me. I wanted him to see me as Scorpius, not as a Death-Eater’s son. Or worse: Voldemort’s son.”

Albus gave him a sympathetic smile, then looked at Draco. "Sir, I really like your son. He's kind and pure, and he's taught me so much about myself. He’s helped me see that I have a softer side. I… I think I could love him.”

Scorpius melted, hearing those words was like music to his ears. He pushed his dad off and stepped towards Albus, smiling softly. “I think I could love you, too.”

“Scorpius…” his father trailed off, clearly noticing something between the two boys.

Scorpius turned to him. “Do you trust me?”

“You know I do.”

“Then let me figure this one out on my own.”

His father smiled and bowed his head. Then he pulled Scorpius into a hug, tighter than he’d ever hugged him before. “I don’t know when you grew up, but it happened so fast. I’m proud of who you’ve become, Scorpius.” Scorpius squeezed his dad tighter, pouring all his love out for him. Telling him he’d missed him, and that he was sorry, and that this week had been hard for him knowing they were fighting. Draco hugged him back.

#

After the whole incident with Scorpius’ dad, Scorpius led Albus into his room and then into another room attached to it. Inside was three guitars and a violin on the wall, a grand piano in one corner, a set of drums in another. On a desk in another corner was pieces of parchment and a few notebooks, a triangle and a harmonica on top of it. There was a two-seater sofa next to the bed and Scorpius sat down, pulling Albus with him.

“I see you like music,” Albus commented, fondly. “Can you play all these?”

“Of course. I was a home-schooled kid with far too much spare time on my hands.” Scorpius got up and sat back down at the seat of his piano, running his fingers over the keys before playing a gentle tune. “Piano is my favourite, it’s peaceful, quaint. It reminds me of all the calm and placid things in the world when my anxiety gets too much.”

“That’s beautiful,” Albus said, getting up and wandering over to the guitars. “I used to play guitar, one of those hobbies I picked up for no more than a month.”

“Can you still play?” The sounds of the piano were still echoing throughout the room, filling Albus up with that quiet calmness Scorpius was talking about.

He shook his head, smiling softly at the memories of him locking himself in his room and playing until two in the morning, until his parents confiscated his guitar until the next day. He still has it collecting dust in the corner of his room.

“What was the incident? In Diagon Alley?” Albus asked, randomly bringing up the topic briefly spoken about in the kitchen. Scorpius had mentioned it before but had never seemed content to talk about it. He stopped playing, looking intently at the keys like they had seriously insulted him. Albus was about to tell him that he didn’t need to explain when he spoke up.

“We went to get my school supplies,” he said, rather solemnly. “I begged them to let me go to Hogwarts, that was never the plan. My dad got in contact with yours and asked if we could return to England, so I could go to school, and he agreed.” Scorpius got up and sat back down on the sofa, Albus followed him, taking his hand and playing with his fingers. He stayed silent whilst Scorpius worked out what to say. Scorpius looked anywhere but at Albus - a bad habit of his, Albus had noticed.

“So, we were shopping. I’d already got my wand and my parents wanted to get me a surprise, so they left me in the Flourish and Blotts whilst they popped to the shop opposite. It was a book shop, so I was in my element, just happily browsing when someone threw a book at the back of my head. I just ignored it, carried on when these older boys started hissing behind me. When I turned around they threw another book that hit me square in the head, then another boy threw a quaffle which knocked me to the ground.

"I don't remember much else. Just that they started kicking me over and over, hissing insults at me but at this point, I was so far into my panic attack that nothing registered but the pain and my lack of ability to breathe. It was my dad that stopped them, either no one else saw or no one cared enough to stop them. Who cares if Voldemort’s kid dies, right?” he said with a half-hearted chuckle.

“Mum and Dad said I nearly died. I spent three days unconscious in St Mungos whilst my body repaired itself. I broke 12 bones in total, was covered in bruises for weeks, and had a pretty bad internal bleed in my stomach. Mum managed to stop it going out into the press, and as soon as I was fit enough, we left England.”

“Scorpius, I- I don’t know what to say. That’s awful,” Albus said when he stopped speaking. He was at a loss for words, truly. How could anyone be so awful to him? And how could Scorpius just pretend like it wasn’t a big deal? The world had been so cruel to Scorpius Malfoy, and yet, it just made him kind.

“It’s my unfortunate life,” he shrugged. The kiss that Scorpius then pressed to Albus’ mouth seemed sudden and random, but Albus guessed he needed a distraction and Albus was never going to deny him of that. If he could make him feel better, then he would.

#

It was another month before Albus sorted himself out, realising that his passion was in magical creatures and he wanted to begin his post-Hogwarts training as soon as possible. The programmes for that were always better in England as opposed to in Italy, especially a muggle city. He was also running out of money, and his parents refused to give him any more. Scorpius couldn’t blame him for going home, but he really wished he wasn’t. Not that he would tell Albus that. What they had was the result of two months together. That was nothing compared to Albus’ future.

That month was bliss. They spent the time at their favourite spot on the lake, or at the beach where they first made their relationship official. Draco had eased into Albus’ constant presence, and he joined them for dinner nearly every night – Astoria insisted. There were days they’d stay in, either in Scorpius’ music room or Albus’ hotel room. Sometimes, if Scorpius was at work, Albus would sit with him in the café until his shift ended. They were in the _honeymoon phase_ as his mum called it.

They knew their time was over and made the most of it. Albus checked out of the hotel a night early and spent it at Scorpius’ house. He was getting a bus to the airport early the next morning, and they wanted to spend as much time together as possible. It wasn’t over, that much they agreed on. Neither wanted to end their new relationship, they just had to work out the chinks in the armour.

The night was spent in a blissful romance, legs tangled in sheets; arms tangled in bodies; hands tangled in hair. They moved together as one, claiming each other in the best possible way. In a mess of sweaty skin, heavy duvets and lips on lips, they fell. Fell together in love with each other. Albus trailed love bites down Scorpius’ neck, marking him as his.

Scorpius was pretty sure Albus was the one for him. There would never be anyone else.

Which is why when he woke up to an empty bed the next day, his heart broke in two. A note was left on the pillow, scribbled in Albus’ scrawly handwriting.

_I’m bad at goodbyes. I didn’t want to leave like this, but you looked so peaceful sleeping this morning that I couldn’t bear to ruin that. I, therefore, hope last night was a good enough goodbye. I hope we’ll get to see each other soon. I’ll call you when I land._

_P.S. Last night was so fucking hot and I have no idea how I managed to make you mine._

Scorpius smiled at that last part, a small reminder that Albus was still his. Though, leave it to Albus to leave without a goodbye. He read the note over and over until his heart became heavy and the tears started to fall. He sobbed loudly into his pillow, curling up into a ball. The pillow still smelt like Albus, and Scorpius kept it close, breathing in his scent.

His mum must have heard his sobbing because she was in his room moments later, cradling him. She didn’t need to ask. Scorpius handed her the note and she knew. Scorpius felt stupid for crying; it wasn’t over. But it felt over. He left without saying goodbye; he left. It wasn’t over, but he still left.

“I… I miss him, Mum,” Scorpius choked out, the lump in his throat making it hard to speak or breathe. “You never told me love would hurt this much, why didn’t you tell me?”

“That was something you had to figure out on your own, sweet pea," she said, softly, smoothing his hair down.

“He’s barely been gone hours and I already miss him, I’m so pathetic.”

His mum started stroking his hair and it made him feel five years old again, but he needed this. He needed his mum right now. Albus may still be his, but he’ll be his hundreds of miles away. And Scorpius didn’t want to lose him. He was the best thing that had happened to him. When he walked into that café two months ago, there was no telling that _this_ would be where it led them. But now he had a heavy heart and tear-stained cheeks, nursing a heart that was close to breaking.

“You’re not pathetic. You love him, that’s all.” The words struck a chord. _Love._ Scorpius had never felt love before. He knew that’s what this was; he wasn’t completely oblivious. He’d never told Albus how he felt, not truly. A wave of regret ran through him.

“I never told him,” he whispered, unsure if he was even loud enough for his mum to hear. “I wanted to, but the words kept getting lost and I-”

“Hey, hey,” his mum interrupted, knowing that his thoughts would lead him into a panic and stopping them beforehand. “It’s okay. What time does his flight leave?”

“Midday.”

“Then you have time.”

Scorpius sat up, looking at her perplexed. “Huh?”

“Go to him, Scorpius. Tell him you love him. Ask him to stay and if he can’t, then get a proper goodbye.”

It was a crazy idea if Scorpius had ever heard one, so why was he jumping out of bed and rushing to find some clothes? It was in the rush that he pulled on a t-shirt that smelt vaguely familiar, and only when he calmed slightly did he realise it was Albus’ t-shirt. He’d left it, whether on purpose or by accident. It was the one he’d worn on their first date and a wave of memories washed over him. Scorpius couldn’t let him leave, not now. Not without a goodbye.

His mum and dad went with him, getting to the nearest place to hire a car (his dad learned to drive a few years ago) and driving him to the airport where Albus was catching his plane. He was due to board in half an hour and Scorpius was no stranger to the time it took to get through security.

Before his parents even had the chance to park properly, Scorpius was out the car and running towards the entrance. He narrowly dodged other people, getting through with an ease he never expected considering his clumsy nature. He bought the cheapest plane ticket available (courtesy of his fathers debit card) and sprinted off towards security. He heard someone shout at him to stop running but promptly ignored them.

He bounced anxiously on his feet through security, checking his phone over and over to make sure he didn’t run out of time. It was surprisingly fast and once through he broke back into a sprint until he found the nearest television that told him the gate numbers. He looked at the time on his phone and saw a message from Albus.

_Boarding in ten minutes. I’ll text you when I land._

Ten minutes. He had ten minutes.

He scanned the screen, looking for the flight to London and it’s gate number. Twelve. Scanning the area quickly, he saw the gateway leading to the boarding area and struggled past a large family to get there. The hall was long and winding, seemingly never-ending. His legs burned as he sprinted as fast as he could, his lungs fighting for more air.

“Albus?” he called once in the area for the boarding area for gates 10-20, hoping that Albus would hear him before he saw him. There was no response, and he ran again trying to also look for him at the same time. When he finally spotted that familiar mop of dark hair, he was in line to board the plane.

“Albus!” he called again, closer this time. Albus heard him and looked around frantically for the source of his name. He gaped when he spotted Scorpius, standing out of breath, no-doubt red in the face and looking a complete mess. And then he grinned so widely Scorpius thought for a moment his face would split in two.

He ducked under the rope separating them, dropping his carry-on bag and running towards him. Albus jumped at him with full force, wrapping both his arms and legs around him. Scorpius nearly stumbled backwards, but just about managed to stay afoot.

Scorpius didn’t want to let him go, so when Albus jumped down, the pain in his heart was instant. He had no idea what he was going to say, so he just let his mouth talk like it always did without his brain truly processing it.

“I know you said you don’t do goodbyes, but I do. Albus, I once told you that I’ve never been able to call anywhere home. I think I finally know why. Home was never a place for me, it was a person. It's _you_. With you, I feel like I'm home. You make my heart feel like it’s summer even when the rain is thundering down. And I am utterly and truly in love with you.”

Albus stood stunned, clearly unsure of what to say. Clearly shocked that Scorpius had confessed his love. Clearly shocked he was here at all.

And then he smiled, and the rain cleared, and the sun shone. His smile was like that you see. It could clear the world of all natural disasters; it could win wars; it could cure blood maledictions. His smile was enthralling, captivating. It was one of the lesser-known wonders of the world. And Scorpius was in love with it.

“As soon as I left I regretted not saying goodbye. I’m in love with you, too, Scorpius Malfoy. And I’m not as good with words as you are – you can tell you like poetry – but I feel the same way. I came looking for myself and I found you instead, and I wouldn’t give you up for the world.”

Scorpius kissed him, putting every ounce of love and ardour he had for Albus into it. Showing him with a single, sweet action exactly what he felt. When they pulled away, Scorpius murmured, “then don’t. Don’t give me up.”

“I’ll come back,” he promised. “I need to go, tell my parents I love them, and then I’ll come back.”

“Promise me?” he asked, connecting their foreheads. Scorpius kept Albus’ cheeks in his hands and Albus’ hands were on his waist and he was reminded of the blissful sweet night they shared together.

“I promise,” Albus said and kissed him again.

“Final call for flight A324 to London,” a voice called on the overhead speaker.

“I have to go.”

“If you ever need me-”

“I know,” Albus said. “Just look up and you’ll be in the stars.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, my little angel.”

Scorpius closed his eyes, bringing Albus in for one more kiss, not quite ready to let him go. Albus melted into him, deepening the kiss. Then Albus was gone, whispering a final promise of a return in his ear, and disappearing onto the flight and out of the country. Scorpius watched until he was fully out of sight, his heart soaring as Albus looked back at him before rounding the corner.

He left the airport, finding his parents waiting by the car, and watched the flight that Albus was on take-off and disappear into the clouds.

#

_Scorpius,_

_I got a little lonely without you today. With Lily being at school and James off who knows where with his new job, the house is rather quiet. I miss you. I miss Italy._

_The sun set about an hour ago and I’m sat in the garden shivering to death hoping the clouds will clear soon so I can see you and your stars in the sky._

_I start that internship next week. I know I was planning to see you soon, but they wanted me to start sooner than expected which means my trip will have to be put off for a while. I’m really sorry. I miss you so fucking much that it hurts. I cried to my mum today about it. I don’t remember the last time I let her comfort me like that. _

_I promise we’ll see each other soon. I love you so much._

_Albus x_

_#_

_Albus,_

_I’m coming home. And by home, I mean Wiltshire. Mum and dad have seen how miserable I’ve been and made the executive decision that we’re moving home. My dad’s been in contact with yours, there’s a statement being released about our return, as well as clearing up the rumours on my heritage._

_I’m moving home, Albus. I’m coming back to you. It’ll be rocky, and hard and I know people will be cruel, but all of that will be wholly worth it if I can be with you. We can be together, properly._

_I love you and can’t wait to see you._

_Scorpius x_

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments welcome!
> 
> Twitter: @sunshinescorp  
Tumblr: sunshinescorpiusmalfoy


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